CHAPTER i
AN INTERRUPTION.
But here, instead of finding, as she expected, Mrs
Charlton, and fresh horses in readiness, Cecilia saw
neither chaise nor preparation; Mrs Charlton was quietly
seated in a parlour, and drinking tea with Mrs Mears.
Vexed and disappointed, she ordered horses immediately
to the chaise, and entreated Mrs Charlton to lose
no more time. But the various delays which had
already retarded them, had made it now so late that
it was impossible to get into London by daylight, and
Mrs Charlton not having courage to be upon the road
after dark, had settled to sleep at the inn, and purposed
not to proceed till the next morning.
Half distracted at this new difficulty, Cecilia begged
to speak with her alone, and then represented in the
most earnest manner, the absolute necessity there
was for her being in London that night: “Every
thing,” said she, “depends upon it, and
the whole purpose of my journey will otherwise be
lost, for Mr Delvile will else think himself extremely
ill used, and to make him reparation, I may be compelled
to submit to almost whatever terms he shall propose.”
Mrs Charlton, kind and yielding, withstood not this
entreaty, which Cecilia made with infinite pain to
herself, from the reluctance she felt to pursuing
her own interest and inclination in opposition to
those of her worthy old friend: but as she was
now circumstanced, she considered the immediate prosecution
of her journey as her only resource against first
irritating Delvile by an abrupt disappointment, and
appeasing him next by a concession which would make
that disappointment end in nothing.
The chaise was soon ready, and Mrs Charlton and Cecilia
were rising to take leave of the company, when a man
and horse galloped full speed into the inn-yard, and
in less than a minute, Morrice bounced into the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” cried he, quite
out of breath with haste, “I have got some news
for you! I’ve just found out who that person
is that has been watching us.”
Cecilia, starting at this most unwelcome intelligence,
would now have run into the chaise without hearing
him proceed; but Mrs Charlton, who knew neither whom
nor what he meant, involuntarily stopt, and Cecilia,
whose arm she leant upon, was compelled to stay.
Every one else eagerly desired to know who he was.
“Why I’ll tell you,” said he, “how
I found him out. I was thinking in my own mind
what I could possibly do to make amends for that unlucky
accident about the dog, and just then I spied the very
man that had made me drop him; so I thought at least
I’d find out who he was. I rode up to him
so quick that he could not get away from me, though
I saw plainly it was the thing he meant. But
still he kept himself muffled up, just as he did before.
Not so snug, thought I, my friend, I shall have you
